EinherjerEdison Lot, Baltimore MD, May 23

Deathfest's overlords are intelligent dictators, and know that variety keeps things interesting, and so while death metal is still the titular focus of the fest, every year different genres are represented in even greater numbers. Einherjer spiced things up early on Saturday (May 23) by bringing the Viking metal on force.

The Norwegians' sound has a strong folk metal influence, which the crowd embraced wholeheartedly. While they sang of glorious battles and mighty Norse legends, the audience responded by assembling one of the funniest and most delightful pits of the whole festival: while some linked arms to stomp out a merry death jig, several revellers in horse-head masks pantomimed galloping off into battle.